Sweet Pirate of Mine
by AJsHellCat
Summary: a year after the events of DMC, Jack and Elizabeth enjoy wedding bliss...that is until trouble finds them again.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: this idea struck me at 12:45 am last night. Thankfully, I still remembered it in the morning. So, here I am typing it out! Also, there are spoilers for POTC: DMC in here so if have not seen it, don't read…unless you want to know.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Crap.

Plot: One year after the events of DMC, Jack and Elizabeth enjoy wedded bliss. Unfortunately, trouble has found them again…

**_Chapter One: An Evening on The Sea_**

"_I always knew you were a good man…"_

Elizabeth Sparrow was leaning against the railing of The Black Pearl 2 staring out at the horizon, enjoying the mild sea breeze that was caressing her face. The sun was just beginning to set, casting elongated shadows all across the ship. It was a peaceful evening which was just the way she liked them.

This new ship that she and Jack had commandeered, was not as "fearsome" as the original Black Pearl as Jack put it, but she was a close second, hence the two on the end of the name. It was just as wonderful to her, however. This ship made her understand Jack's analogy of comparing a ship to freedom.

It had been, Elizabeth figured, almost one year since they had saved Jack; she'd broken up with Will, and then began a new life for herself on the sea. And what a grand one it had been so far.

And to think, it had all started with her kissing him aboard the original Black Pearl and chaining him to the mast to save them all from the Kraken…

She still wasn't sorry, but she had missed him fiercely. Enough so that she had come to shocking realization that she was indeed in love with Jack. Will, unfortunately, had figured it out too. The two of them had talked, fought and then broken up. Will went back to Port Royal, and she to sea and to Jack.

The pirate in question was busy checking his compass on the other end of the ship. He was frowning at it which meant that the needle was going haywire as it was prone to do upon occasion. It worked fine, indeed she thought and grinned.

As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up and gave her that special smile he only reserved for her. Elizabeth felt her heart flutter like a schoolgirl who caught the eye of her crush.

She smiled back and he sauntered towards her. Before she could utter a greeting to him, he dipped his head down and kissed her long and deeply.

"Hello, love." He said softly.

"Hello, Jack. How do you expect me to think when you do that?" she teased.

"Thinking," he gave her his trademark grin this time, "is overrated in this situation."

"I might have to agree, pirate." And with that, she kissed him.

A moment later, they both heard Gibbs shouting to them.

"Would you two be stoppin' that? You're makin' us all sick to our stomachs!"

The two smiled, knowing he was only joking with them. Truth be told, Gibbs did indeed have a romantic bone in his body and was secretly pleased and touched that the two had found love with one another. After all, it hadn't taken much pestering from Elizabeth to get him to agree to marry the two of them.

"So," Jack leered at her, making her laugh, "You, me, my cabin and no pirate's clothing?" he asked, since she'd decided that she'd never wear a dress again.

"Lead the way, Captain."

Grinning at one another, they went below deck to enjoy the benefits of marriage.

While they did, Gibbs eyes narrowed on some dark, grey mist hovering just on the horizon…


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: welcome readers, to the next instalment. Read on and enjoy.

_**Chapter Two: Good and Bad News**_

"_Pirate."_

Elizabeth laid her head contentedly against Jack's chest after several hours of glorious lovemaking.

"How is it that it seems to get better each time?" she purred, tracing her fingers on his broad, tanned chest.

"Well, I could show you again," Jack whispered in her ear and began to let his fingers wonder.

Elizabeth chuckled then grinned up at him. "I love you."

"I love you too, pet." He kissed her then.

"Jack," she said against his mouth, "I have some good news for you."

"Do tell." he said, while trailing his fingers through her hair.

Elizabeth took his hand from her hair and placed it over her abdomen. "I've missed my woman's flow for the last two months…" she let the implication hang in the air, hoping Jack would realize what she had just told him.

"You're with child." He stated simply, looking very much like he was in awe.

"Yes. You, Captain Jack Sparrow, are going to be a father."

A smile began to spread across his face and a joy filled his heart. He'd never thought he'd get that chance since he knew that pirates rarely, if ever, stayed with a woman long enough to raise a child. Sure, they stuck around for the child making process, but that was about it.

His own father hadn't. Elizabeth knew this and respected it. It was another thing that he loved so much about her. Despite his shortcomings in terms of his "legend" and his upbringing, she never thought less of him. In fact, she thought _more_ of him.

Elizabeth saw him as a survivor no matter what odds he was up against, even death.

Ah, how grand it is to love and be loved.

And, also, he figured he'd be terrified. But for some odd reason, he wasn't. It was as if the moment was right. In his heart, he knew it was.

_Ah, ol' Jack you're becoming a sap. _He thought to himself. But being himself, he didn't care in the least. He would be if he darned well pleased.

Jack gently rubbed her stomach with his hand. "I'm going to give this child everything I never had." Jack said in a rare moment of complete seriousness.

Elizabeth gently touched his cheek. "I know you will."

Turning on a dime, he smirked. "_He'll_ make a swell pirate."

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at him. "_He?_ What makes you think it won't be a girl and that _she_ won't make a swell pirate?"

Even though they had been married a year, they still enjoyed bantering and getting each other's goats in a playful manner.

"Because, darling, pirates always have boys."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes slightly at him and grinned. "Want to make a wager on that?" she asked, knowing that was something Jack could never resist.

Jack grinned. "What do I get if I win?" he asked, trailing his mouth down his wife's neck.

"_If _you win, you can name him. If I win, I get to name her."

Elizabeth stepped back and held her hand out. "Do we have an accord?"

Jack grinned and shook her hand. "May the best pirate win."

And with that, Jack kissed her and lowered her down onto the bed.

"What the devil is this about?" Jack asked angrily as Gibbs ran into his cabin a short time later. If there was anything that irritated the Captain, it was being interrupted while he was trying to seduce his wife.

"There's grey mist in the distance, Jack. It's makin' everyone a bit nervous."

Jack sighed and cast a look filled with longing at Elizabeth, who was wrapped in the sheets. He looked back at Gibbs, his irritation obvious.

"Mr. Gibbs, I know for a fact that you can sail through fog without a problem. So, just go and do that, savvy? As you can see, your Captain is a little busy right now and does not want any distractions." He gave Elizabeth a sensual smile.

Gibbs was clearly uncomfortable having come upon the scene he had. It left no mystery as to what they had been up to and were thinking of doing again.

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs answered him.

"I'm afraid we might not be able to, Captain." His voice shook slightly.

Jack and Elizabeth both looked at each other and at Gibbs. They both were picking up on his body language which was telling them that he was clearly worried about this fog. What made it different?

"Let's have a look, Jack." Elizabeth insisted, wanting to know what had Gibbs spooked.

Jack nodded his agreement and the two set to get their clothes back on while Gibbs waited outside the door.

All three of them came out on deck a short time later. Immediately Jack and Elizabeth saw what Gibbs had been talking about.

The fog was not only thick, but it had an eerie feel to it. They all collectively gasped as the what looked exactly like the Black Pearl came into view looking as it had when "a man so evil Hell itself spat him back out" had been Captain.

Jack's eyes took on a look of shock, then one that was colder than the seawater their ship was currently sailing in. "Barbossa."

Elizabeth looked at her husband with shock then back at the ship that had supposedly been destroyed that fateful day. Even when they had retrieved Jack, the ship had been beyond repair, and therefore it had be left behind at the bottom of the sea.

It was close enough now that they could see the man himself at the wheel, grinning in his trademark malicious manner.

"Oh, bugger." Elizabeth muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three: Surprises_**

"_One word, love: curiosity."_

"Captain Jack Sparrow."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at the sound of his voice and felt the familiar hatred she had for him run through her veins.

"Barbossa." Jack answered back.

"What do you want?" Elizabeth asked, her hand lingering on where she had her sword strapped her waist.

Barbossa turned to her and then let his eyes go a little wide before returning to normal.

"Ah, Miss Swann how nice it is-," he began but Elizabeth cut him off.

"Actually it's Mrs. Elizabeth Sparrow now."

"Sparrow?" he echoed and then smiled. "Isn't that nice? Well, probably not for Mr. Turner, eh?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, unaffected by the barb. She had no regrets about her decisions in the past, including leaving Will.

"I've had enough of this wretched small talk, Barbossa. Tell us what you want."

Instead of answering, cannons began to fire and his new crew began to swing aboard, attacking them.

"Bloody hell!" Jack cursed and engaged in a sword fight with two of Barbossa's men at once while shouting orders to his crew that was on deck.

Elizabeth ran below and shouted orders to the crew below deck. Then, she ran to help Jack. When she saw him, he was attacking only one of the two now. She assumed he had disposed of the other.

Taking the back of her sword, she swung it at the back of the man's head and knocked him out cold. Both Jack and Elizabeth picked him up and threw him overboard.

"Good work, love." Jack grinned and attacked the next member of Barbossa's crew that attacked him.

Elizabeth nodded to him and dove back into the chaos that surrounded them. Before she could do anything, she saw a blade swing around and press itself against her throat.

"You're comin' with me, Mrs. Sparrow." It was Barbossa. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes when she heard him say her last name as though he had something foul in his mouth.

She wasn't afraid of him. Not since she'd had more training in combat from Jack. Grinning, she decided it was time to show him just that. In a quick sequence, she jabbed her elbow into his gut and then into his nose.

In his surprise, he let her go. Elizabeth took advantage of his disorientation and kicked him as hard as she could. Barbossa stumbled and hit his back on the ship's railing, groaning and swearing at her all the while trying to wipe the blood off of his face that was streaming from his nose.

"I'm not so defenceless anymore, you foul wretch!" Elizabeth shouted angrily before running to resume helping Jack.

Barbossa was so angry he shook with it. He would not be bested by a woman especially not Jack Sparrow's woman. He would make sure she paid for what she had just done to him.

He made his way towards her, pushing anyone who got in his way. Once he had her in his sights again, he raised his pistol and fired.

"Jack! There's another one right behind-," She never finished her sentence. Jack watched in horror as she dropped like a stone on the ground, a nasty gash along the side her head. Worse, she had been on the steps and was now tumbling down them and right towards his worst enemy.

Barbossa laughed as Elizabeth's unconscious body rolled to lie at his feet. Wasting no time, he picked her up then swung back to his ship.

"We've got what we came for! Return to the ship!" And with that, the rest of Barbossa's crew returned and the ship began to retreat.

"Follow them! They have Elizabeth!" Jack shouted. The crew didn't hesitate at all to follow his orders. In fact, they did it with more vigour than usual. That was no surprise to Jack since they all had grown very fond of her during the first two adventures and even more so over the last year.

Jack gritted his teeth in anger. He was going kill that man, only this time Jack was going to make sure Barbossa stayed dead. There would be _no_ resurrection.

The Captain got even angrier as thought of his unborn child. As if sensing his mood, the crew worked harder still.

Gibbs walked up to Jack and stood next to him, looking just as angry was he was.

"We're keeping up Captain. We'll get her back."

"We bloody well better, Gibbs." Jack growled. "I'm not about to lose two people I love."

Gibbs gave Jack a funny look. "Two people, Captain?"

Jack turned his intense gaze on him. "Elizabeth is with child, Gibbs."

Gibbs's eyes widened in understanding and then narrowed with determination. "We'll catch that rat and save 'em both." And with that, he rejoined the hardworking crew to make sure they didn't lose Barbossa's ship.

Jack watched his crew work themselves to the bone to keep up with the Pearl. It gave him a small comfort to know that they were as determined as him to get Elizabeth back.

Just then a fog thicker than soup covered both Pearls so they were virtually invisible to one another. It swirled around Jack and everyone on board. Soon, they couldn't even see an inch in front of their own faces. The entire ship was consumed by it.

Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and so was Barbossa's ship.

Everyone froze in shock. Silence descended on the ship that was so thick you could cut it with a sword.

Jack let out a stream of curses that would even make the most seasoned pirate blush. How had Barbossa done such a trick as this? And more importantly, where had they gone? Jack didn't have answers to either questions, but was going to do everything in his power to find out.

"Don't worry, love we're going to find you." He whispered his words lost in the wind that was slowly picking up.

Meanwhile, Barbossa was grinning, proud of himself. He'd outsmarted Jack Sparrow with simple magic. He was finally getting his revenge on Jack for killing him the first time around.

Elizabeth, as he had expected, was furious.

"What have you done? Where is Jack's ship?"

Barbossa chuckled coldly. "He is still behind us, but can no longer see us."

Elizabeth stared at him, trying to understand what he had told her. "You mean to tell me we're…invisible?"

"Aye, they are unable to see us even though we are right in front of their eyes."

"How did you do such a thing?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets, missy." He grinned again then returned to the wheel to steer the ship in his desired direction.

Elizabeth lunged at him, but was restrained by members of his crew.

"Now, now you won't want to be doin' that. If ye do, I'll let history repeat itself only it'll be me who is sendin' him to the depths."

Elizabeth swallowed hard as she felt the weight of his threat. He knew exactly how much Jack had meant to her back then and how much more he meant to her now.

Thankfully, however, he knew nothing of her unborn child and she vowed to keep it that way. If he did find out, it would serve only to give Barbossa another advantage.

Elizabeth stopped struggling and forced herself to suppress her anger, for now. It would do her no good to be ruled by her emotions when she should be thinking of a way to get escape this dire situation and get back to Jack.

A moment later, she was taken down into the ship and locked in one of the many cabins presumably so she couldn't try to attack the Captain again. Just as well, she thought, it would give her time to think.

This was one of Jack's greatest advantages against his enemies, she realized. He never stopped thinking, scheming, and using every opportunity to his benefit.

That knowledge only made her love her Jack more. With renewed determination, she sat down on the bunk, and racked her brain for ideas.

"Don't worry, Jack," Elizabeth laid a hand on her stomach, "we'll find our way back to you."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: thanks to all those who have given me reviews so far. It's nice to hear from my readers.

_**Chapter Four: Plans, Plans, and more Plans**_

"_I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."_

"What do I do? What do I do?" Jack had been asking himself the same question for several maddening hours on end while pacing his cabin. He'd been tossing around plans in his mind, but none seemed to be just right or would guarantee that they would in fact able to find Barbossa's ship, which he and the crew had seen disappear right in front of their eyes. Having finally reached his wits end, Jack growled with frustration and tossed his hat angrily onto his bunk.

_Come on, Jack, think! _

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself so he could do just that. He even shook his arms and legs to loosen the tension in them. Feeling slightly better, he decided to run down the questions he needed to answer in order to save the woman he loved.

First, how had Barbossa managed to make the ship disappear? Magic, it seemed, was the obvious answer.

If that was the case, the next question would be where did he get the materials for it? That was a bit trickier to figure out. Jack had travelled extensively and knew that there were a lot of places that a pirate or otherwise could get items of the supernatural nature. However, the only place that stuck in his mind was Tia Dalma's.

That idea startled Jack for a moment. Why would she do that after she had played a key role in helping his crew and Elizabeth find and rescue him if in fact she had helped Barbossa in the first place?

Either way, he knew he would have to pay her a visit. If she wasn't a part of this plot, there was a good chance she might know who was.

More determined now that he had the beginnings of a plan, Jack left his cabin and headed on deck.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack called out.

"Aye, Captain?" came the answer from a few feet away.

"Set the course for Tia Dalma's!"

Gibbs gave him a questioning look. "Why do ya want to be goin' there, Jack?"

Jack briefly relayed the thoughts he'd had in his cabin. However, in true Jack Sparrow fashion, he only confused Gibbs more with his run around way of speaking.

"Savvy?" Jack asked once he was finished.

Gibbs eyes shifted uncomfortably before he walked away to assist a fellow crew member.

Jack shrugged, not the least bit affected by Gibb's reaction to his explanation. Some people simply didn't understand him like his Elizabeth did.

The thought of his beloved wife tugged at his heart, making him all the more determined.

He would get his answers and once he did, he would save her and make sure harm never came to her again.

But first, he needed some rum.

**_Barbossa's Ship: Evening _**

Elizabeth decided she didn't think she was going to like being pregnant as she bent over the ship to empty her stomach for the umpteenth time. Her mother, though not with her now, had told her about what a woman goes through when she is with child. Barfing every so often was one of them, unfortunately.

"Ye have been sick too many times, Mrs. Sparrow! Did ye forget yer married to a pirate? Hmm?"

She groaned as she heard Barbossa's voice. Oh, how she hated that man and being stuck here with him. She prayed that Jack would find her and soon.

"It was something I ate, I believe." She said, making reference to the glop that was supposed to be stew she had been served for dinner. Which of course, at first sniff, she had decided not to eat.

Barbossa seemed unperturbed by her statement. "I'd believe ye if ye'd eaten any." He said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Elizabeth only shrugged. She didn't care whether he believed her or not. She just wanted him to leave her alone to think.

He smiled at her, although it didn't reach his eyes, which were as cold and as unfeeling as ever.

"When Jack finds us, I'm going to kill 'im ya, know."

He turned to leave her alone when she said, "_When_ he finds us, Barbossa?"

"Aye, when." He replied loving the fact that she was starting to put some pieces of the puzzle together.

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "You're counting on it, aren't you? You're going to let him find us, and when he does you'll kill him!"

"You be correct, missy. You see, the way to break the spell is painfully easy. Jack will no doubt find it. And when he does, he'll come lookin' for you."

"Bloody pirate!" she shouted angrily at his back while he walked away, leaving her once again alone.

Barbossa only laughed as he retreated.

Elizabeth hated that there was nothing she could do to him without causing great injury to herself or her unborn child. Barbossa had made sure when he'd kidnapped her that her weapons were tossed overboard so she had no means of defence.

All she could do was bide her time. Tears of frustration stung her eyes but she held them back. If she was to get out of this, she needed to hold herself together for her sake and Jack's.

The cut on her head, she thought absently, was healing nicely although Barbossa had denied her the right to clean the excess blood off. It was now caked uncomfortably on her face and neck. There was also a bit of it on her white shirt.

She briefly smiled as she fantasized about different ways she could make Barbossa pay for her injury that involved small, rusty objects and him no longer being able to reproduce.

As she stood there and fumed, she noticed the winds picking up and the crew getting more agitated. From sailing with Jack, she knew what this meant: a storm was coming and it was going to be a big one.

Without thinking, she began helping the crew with all the necessary jobs one does during a storm.

Just then, she heard the familiar voices of two pirates: Pintel and Ragetti.

"Oh look! She's tryin' ta 'elp us! women don' do tha'!" Ragetti exclaimed.

"I know, Ragetti. They don'. It's no' natural."

Elizabeth nearly laughed as she thought of just what to say to the two of them.

She sauntered up to the two men and gave them a small smile, while raising a single eyebrow. Both men looked sheepish for having been overheard.

"You're forgetting one very important thing…"

"And what's that?" Pintel asked, curiously.

"I'm Elizabeth Sparrow."

The two men exchanged dumbfounded looks while she went back to what she was doing, a grin of satisfaction on her face. Of course, not before gently whacking the back of Ragetti's head, sending his fake eyeball rolling down the deck.

Elizabeth laughed to herself while he ran after it. Pintel merely sent her a dirty look, though it didn't diminish her amusement one bit.

Defeated, Pintel went back to work.

Having had her fun, she turned her thoughts back to the man she loved and just how she was going to save him.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: creepily enough readers, as I started writing this chapter, a storm was brewing outside my window and a bad one at that.

_**Chapter Five: The Big Storm**_

"_Sticks and stones, love."_

Meanwhile, Jack's crew was preparing for the same imminent storm. The skies had already darkened the sky into a sort of false night since it was only just after noon. Rain began to pour down, soaking the ship and her crew which was running around securing anything that wasn't tied down already. Lightning would occasionally light the deck, giving it an almost eerie feel.

Jack was standing at the wheel, steering. He barely felt the rain as it hit him. All that he was aware was the war of emotions going on inside him. Anger was winning at the moment, followed closely by heart-wrenching fear. He hoped against hope that they'd get to Tai Dalma's before he went nuts. Well, more nuts than he already was, anyway.

The ship rocked precariously as the waves hitting it grew and grew, which only added to Jack's anxiety.

Suddenly, Gibbs shouted at Jack, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Cap'n! we're goin' ta hit…" Gibbs didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as the ship collided violently with something unseen. The entire crew was tossed around the deck, having lost their footing from the impact. Jack, however, was hanging onto the mast for dear life.

"Gibbs! Figure out what the bloody hell we hit!" Jack shouted over the wind.

"Aye!" he shouted back. He carefully looked over the side. "We've hit a huge rock, Cap'n!"

The next thing the crew became aware of was the fact that the ship was sinking, and fast.

"Get into the longboats!" Jack shouted. Everyone scrambled to do just that. It was extremely difficult since the rain made the ropes slippery and the wind kept rocking the ship and the boats while they tried to lower the longboats into the water.

Several agonizing minutes later, they were all in the boats, rowing away from the ship was fast as they could. As they did, Jack was able to finally see the pull impact the collision had on the ship. A huge, gaping hole lay in her side that was rapidly taking in water. It was only minutes later before she disappeared completely under the waves.

"That's the second ship that I've had that's met its demise." Jack muttered, annoyed.

This was also, he realized, going to make rescuing his wife a bit more difficult.

**_Barbossa's ship…_**

Elizabeth shivered in her small, cramped cabin. Her fingers were raw and numb from spending hours assisting the crew through the storm, which was still raging outside. Her body was also soaked from the rain, making her pants and shirt cling to her in a very uncomfortable way.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she poured rum onto her scrapes to clean them. Afterwards, she wrapped them up with bits of her shirt. Satisfied, she lied down on her bunk and let her thoughts drift to Jack.

However, that was short-lived when she was tossed onto the floor by an aggressive tossing of the ship. Immediately, her hand went to her stomach in fear for her baby.

"Ain't tha' a curious thing now."

Elizabeth jumped at the sound of a voice. She looked up to see Pintel smiling at her, exposing his rotten teeth.

"Only one reason a woman is wantin' ta do tha'" he said, gesturing at where her hand was, "She be with child."

Elizabeth felt her heart fill with dread. Pintel knew her most precious secret now and, considering his loyalties weren't exactly with her, he would for sure tell Barbossa.

Standing once again, she fixed him with a glare. "Yes, and?" she said, hoping she came off as care free about her condition.

"And," he answered, "I won' be tellin' the Captain abou' it." Pintel regarded Elizabeth with a soft expression she'd never seen before.

"But you're a member of his crew! You're loyal to him, aren't you?" She demanded, not understanding Pintel's reaction.

Pintel scrunched his face up as if he'd bitten into something sour. "Loyal," he spat the word, "I am my own pirate, poppet. I'm only on this ship 'till I get me own. Then me an' Ragetti are goin' ta go piratin' together."

The scruffy, unkempt pirate got a whimsical look on his face. "It's me dream, ya know, to have me own ship."

"I could commandeer you one." Elizabeth offered. "Would that do in exchange for you keeping your silence?"

Pintel smiled at her bargain. "You've learned from Jack I see. You're becomin' a pirate."

Elizabeth smiled back. "I already am." And with that, Pintel gave a smile of approval and left to keep helping the crew with the storm-battered ship.

After he departed, she sighed and looked down at her hands as her thoughts once again drifted to her husband.

Just what was she going to do to save him?

Elizabeth smiled in triumph as an idea formed in her head. She ran out onto the deck, not caring that she was assaulted by the wind, rain, and cold once again.

"Pintel!" she called out when she found him desperately trying to keep one of their sails from ripping off the mast. He turned and eyed her curiously.

"I've got another proposition for you."

**_Tia Dalma's hut, several hours later…_**

A very wet, cold, and irritated Jack and his crew walked into her small dwelling in the swamp.

"Jack Sparrow," Tia Dalma said upon sighting him, "you have come to seek my help…findin' and rescuin' your wife?"

"Yes, Tia." Jack answered, not spooked in the least by her ability to know just what he wanted even if he hadn't even told her.

Smiling, Tia Dalma went into one of her hut's rooms, returning with a small box.

"Dis, is what you will need." She held it out to Jack, who took it eagerly.

"Dere are three stones in dat box, Jack. One is black, one is white, and de other red. You must take dem and scatter them in the water, in the shape of a triangle. Once you do this, the spell 'ill be broken."

"Thank you, Tia." Jack said and then shivered a little. He was still bloody freezing.

Seeing this, Tia gave him and his crew some warm, spiced rum. They took it gratefully.

"Your ship met its demise in a da storm did it, Jack?" She asked, sipping her drink.

"Yes again." That was when Jack wondered what the point was in even speaking to her if she simply knew what you were going to say anyway.

Tia didn't speak for several minutes. Instead, she simply watched everyone enjoy their rum. Jack always found it a bit creepy when she did that. It usually meant she was thinking about or at that moment knew something he didn't.

Jack had always wondered if she'd known he was going to meet his end with the Kraken, be resurrected, or that he'd end up married and in real love for the first time in his life.

He figured she probably did, but chose not to share the information for whatever reasons.

"You can use my ship, The Mist, to rescue your precious wife." Tia Dalma said, breaking the silence in the room.

Jack looked up, shocked. Tia never_ ever_ leant her boat out to anyone for any price. After all, he had bartered countless times with her to let him take it and she'd never let him. So, why now?

"I have me own reasons, Jack." Tia Dalma answered as if he had voiced the question.

"And I assume that you won't tell me?"

"You assume correct, Jack Sparrow."

"Well, then. I'm not one to question getting a ship freely offered as I usually commandeer them, but…"

Jack and his crew departed her hut, not waiting for her to possibly change her mind.

Being as efficient as they were, they were back on the now calm waters of the ocean.

Jack stood, looking down over the side of the ship. Gibbs was standing near him, watching him as he often did. Jack looked at Gibbs, then pulled out the small box and opened it. He then took out each of the coloured stones.

"I'm going to kill him again, Gibbs." He dropped one of the stones in the water. "One," Jack dropped another, "last," then the last one, "time."

Each splash, they both noticed, formed a perfect triangle in the dark water.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: sorry it took so long for me to write this, but the dreaded writer's block got me in its clutches for a while. Anyway, enjoy this chapter.

Author's note part 2: I'm writing the location names in bold and italics (with the exception of the chapter title. That is just a title) to avoid confusion as to where each part of the story is taking place.

_**Chapter 6: The Plot Unfolds**_

"_What a ship is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom."_

"That's what yer 'opin' ta do?" Pintel said his eyes bugged out in shock after Elizabeth explained her plan to Pintel and Ragetti.

"Yes, Pintel." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "So, are you going to help me or not?"

"Aye!" Pintel grinned. "This'll be a good spot o' fun!" Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at the pirate's enthusiasm.

"Yeah! I can' wait!" Ragetti nearly jumped with joy. "Say, will this make us, 'eros?"

Elizabeth smiled sweetly at Ragetti, who looked down shyly. "Yes, it will because you helped me."

Pintel rolled his eyes at Ragetti's antics before leaving the cabin she'd talked to them in. Ragetti, used to his attitude, simply followed him.

"I must say," Ragetti said, turning back for a moment, "you look nice in 'em pirate clothes. They suit ye."

"Oh, come on!" Pintel said, now angry. If his friend flirted anymore with Elizabeth, he was going to be sick.

Elizabeth chuckled at the two pirates. They were good men, after all.

With that thought in mind, Elizabeth mentally went over her plan one more time, as Jack had told her was always invaluable when trying to rescue people and or saving one's own skin.

The first phase was to find the "spell room" as Ragetti had called it. Apparently, it was a compartment in the ship that Barbossa thought nobody knew about. The contents, Ragetti had said, were ingredients for spells that Barbossa had planned to use on other occasions.

The second phase was to see what kind of spells there were and determine if she could use any of them to assist her plan.

If not, she would just keep on with her original idea which was to simply have the two pirates turn on Barbossa, which would no doubt keep him busy long enough so that Elizabeth could make her escape back to Jack's ship.

And, she hoped, their helping her would also keep Jack safe form either Barbossa's gun, or his sword.

Before she could begin to set her plan into motion, she heard someone on the deck shout.

"'Ey look! It's the second Pearl!"

Elizabeth's heart soared. Jack had found her! In her joy, she ran onto the deck. When she got there, she didn't see anything. There was no ship, not even in the distance.

But hadn't he said he'd seen it?

"Where is it? Where is the Pearl 2?" Elizabeth demanded of Pintel, who happened to be standing near her.

He looked sad and regretful. "She's there." He pointed to downward towards the water.

Elizabeth ran to the end of the ship and looked down to where Pintel had been pointing. There, lying just within view beneath the water was the Pearl 2.

_Oh, no! Jack!_

As the sun hit the water, it fully illuminated the wreckage that had been her and Jack's ship. It was more ghastly than Elizabeth could have imagined. The ship had been torn into pieces, all scattered along the bottom.

The black sails were the one distinguishing characteristic that told Elizabeth that is was indeed the Pearl.

Tears stung her eyes. What if Jack was down there? What if he'd gone down with the Pearl? What if he was…

Pain hit her heart like a swift punch. She couldn't lose him…not again.

That's when she noticed that the longboat, the one she'd polished up one day on a particularly long voyage, was missing. A burst of hope came into her heart.

Did this mean that he might have survived?

Suddenly, she heard a voice in her mind say to her,

"_You're forgetting one very important thing, love. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow…" _

A smile, one she only reserved for when she thought of the man she loved, spread across her face.

Later that same day, Barbossa sailed to an island that Elizabeth couldn't remember the name of. Everyone enthusiastically left the ship, grinning and chuckling to themselves as they went. Apparently, according to Pintel and Ragetti, this was where some of the finest rum in the world was made.

So, basically it was a drunken pirate's heaven. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and shuddered. Even though she'd been sailing for a year now, she still didn't like how they behaved after an evening of drinking.

She had been locked in her cabin by Barbossa so she couldn't escape while they were "plundering" as he called it. However, he had underestimated her abilities. Elizabeth had learned how to pick a lock and was out of her cabin in to time flat after they departed.

This was her chance to look for the "spell room" and set her plan into motion.

As she went, she was more and more amazed. This really was the Pearl she'd seen sinking to the bottom of the ocean that faithful day.

She went over the rooms in the ship she knew already first. They were exactly as she'd remembered them. It was as if the ship itself was frozen in time, unchanging.

Elizabeth crinkled her nose when she saw that dress she'd worn while she'd been trapped here the first time with Barbossa. It was draped over the same chair she'd sat in. This caused her to wonder if he did that simply to remember that day and snicker or if that had simply been a convenient spot. Either way, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Also, she hoped that memory would fade away one day, even though she knew it wouldn't. Pirate adventures involving curses and being undead stuck with you, always.

As did ones involving chests, hearts, and death…

Elizabeth shook those thoughts from her mind and continued her search. It was when she looked in the left corner of the dining cabin that she noticed that a section of the ship's wood looked newer than the rest.

An average pirate wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but she could since she'd helped the crew repair their ship after having an encounter with a reef.

The newer wood looked to be about the size of a doorway. Convenient for going in and out, Elizabeth assumed.

Carefully, she prodded the wood with her fingers. The wood slowly drew inward, revealing a medium sized room filled to the brim with all sorts of barrels, crates, and oddly shaped bottles.

Some were clearly labelled as being certain kinds of spells and others were not, their contents a mystery.

Elizabeth went through the items in the room to see if any would help her out. She smiled when she noticed a bottle labelled "sleeping tonic" sitting on the floor. She picked it up and turned the bottle around the back where there was another label, explaining how to use it.

_One drop in a drink and the person shall sleep for 24 hours, no peep. _

Rhymes, Elizabeth observed. It was a nice touch.

Now all she had to do was plan when to give it to Barbossa and the crew. How was far too easy. She would simply spike all the rum aboard with it. That way, she could make sure everyone drank some of the tonic.

Elizabeth slipped the bottle into her jacket pocket and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Phase one and two of her plan were now complete. Swiftly, she retreated from the dining room and back into her cabin where she relocked the door.

Right after she did so, the crew and its Captain returned. She knew because her door was unlocked and Barbossa was now sneering at her.

"How are ya, Mrs. Sparrow?"

"Fine, thank you." She said, fixing him with a glare.

"We be sailin' to find Jack now." He announced an evil gleam in his eye. "It be time for killin'" And with that, he slammed her door shut and relocked it.

In that moment, Elizabeth knew she only had so many days before they would find him. After all, Jack was looking for them too, which meant they were likely to meet sooner rather than later.

**_The Mist… _**

Jack stared out of his telescope and frowned. There was still no sign of Barbossa's ship. Though he had broken the spell, or at least he hoped he had, finding it still seemed to prove difficult.

Annoyed, he huffed and took a swig of the rum bottle in his other hand. The liquid created that warm sensation in his stomach that he enjoyed. Well, usually enjoyed. Right now, it did little to comfort him.

Just then, something in the horizon caught Jack's eye. Could it be a ship? It was still too far away to tell with the naked eye, so he again used his telescope to look.

Even with it, the shape was difficult to make out. But, with his long years of experience, Jack knew in his gut it was indeed a ship.

He just hoped it was Barbossa's.

"Ye see the ship Capt'n?" Gibbs asked, coming up beside him.

"Yes, Mr. Gibbs. Let's just make sure it's the one we want."

Mr. Gibbs nodded and watched with Jack as the ship slowly but surely got closer.

Eventually, one was able to see the outline of a ship Jack knew like the back of his hand. It was indeed the original Black Pearl.

Jack then shouted orders to make haste towards the ship so they could save his wife. This was it, he thought, he was going to get her back from that rat of a man.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven: the meeting of the Pearl and the Mist_**

"_I do want to know what it tastes like…"_

It was mid-day when Elizabeth heard the excited shouts of Barbossa's crew.

"That's The Mist, eh?" one of the crewmen said.

"Aye. But why would she be sailin'?" another asked. Both shrugged, unsure of the answer.

Curious as to why they were excited, she looked out the small porthole in her cabin.

A barely visible outline of The Mist could be seen. It would probably still be a good day before they would be upon them.

Perfect, Elizabeth thought. That would mean that the ship would near in the evening which meant that the crew would most likely be asleep when they arrived. Her time to spike the rum with the sleeping potion would come then.

They would never know that Jack had come and rescued her.

Smiling to herself, she settled in her cabin and waited, listening to the crew prepare for Jack's arrival. Sounds of cannons being moved, positioned, and loaded could be heard clearly through her door.

It made Elizabeth worry, but she didn't let it consume her. She needed to be level-headed for her plan to work out.

Evening came faster than she had expected, but it was no matter. It was now time to act. Carefully, Elizabeth removed two small, thin pieces of bone from her pocket and picked the lock on her door. They were the same ones she'd used earlier when she'd searched the ship for the "spell room."

Elizabeth opened her door slowly so it wouldn't creak and possibly awaken anyone. She was met with little sounds except that of snores coming from the crew's quarters.

Mentally Elizabeth counted off the number of barrels of rum she'd seen on her initial search. There were about a dozen at the moment, all lined up against the wall in the storage room below where she stood.

That she could get to and deposit the tonic easily. It would be the crew and captain's personal stash that would be hardest to spike.

She shuddered as she thought of how she would have to sneak into the man's cabin to do just that. Despite her bravado, Barbossa still made her feel wary.

Slipping down below, Elizabeth used her lantern light to methodically put a single drop into each barrel.

Now, for the crew.

That went a bit more precariously, since a few stirred causing her to think they would awaken. Much to her relief, they simply mumbled and rolled over still very much asleep.

Elizabeth avoided Pintel and Ragetti's rum. She didn't want them to fall asleep on her since they'd helped her.

As she ascended back to where the cabins were, she shuddered once again. It was time to spike Barbossa's rum bottle.

Elizabeth walked carefully over to his door and listened. The soft sounds of snoring greeted her. The Captain, it seemed, was asleep as she had hoped.

Carefully, she turned the doorknob to see if the door was locked. When she was met with resistance she knew it was. A quick picking and it was open, revealing the Captain sprawled on his bed, sound asleep. His boots were carelessly tossed on the floor along with his effects which included his gun and sword.

His half-full rum bottle was sitting on his deck, just within his hand's reach.

Setting her eyes on the bottle, she crept towards it. Every once in a while, she looked at Barbossa to make sure he was not stirring.

Slowly, Elizabeth poured the last drop of the tonic into his rum. Her task done, she picked his effects up and carried them out with her as an extra precaution. It was always better to safe than sorry she believed.

With that in mind she used her expert hands to relock Barbossa's door from the outside.

She returned to her cabin feeling triumphant and waited for Jack's ship to arrive, as she knew it would.

It was just an hour shy of sunrise when she saw the ship finally get close enough so they could board. She had gone half mad with excitement as they'd gotten closer, mile by precious mile.

She listened carefully and heard the faint sound of footsteps and muffled whispers. They were finally here! They'd made it! She would be saved!

A moment later her door was soundlessly opened and there, after long last, stood Jack.

"Hello, love." He whispered right before she launched herself into his arms.

"Oh, Jack…you found me…thank god."

Jack smiled as only he could before kissing her senseless right there in the doorway.

The crew, though they knew they had be quiet, couldn't help but let out small groans and grumbles at their display.

They both ignored them. Husband and wife had been separated for far too long and felt they had earned this moment.

"Time to go now, love." Jack whispered, very reluctantly breaking the kiss.

Elizabeth nodded, knowing he was right. There would be time for more activities of the romantic nature once they were back on the ship and far away from Barbossa's clutches.

And so, they hurried back to The Mist and quickly got her ready to depart. As they did, both Jack and Elizabeth noticed that there was no stirring coming from the Pearl.

So far so good.

They sailed away slowly and quietly as they had when they'd approached. The Mist was a good distance away when Elizabeth and Jack saw two small figures waving at them, bidding them farewell.

Grinning, Elizabeth knew it was Pintel and Ragetti. She waved back and called out a thank you, though she wasn't sure they had heard her. The two of them did, however, wave more enthusiastically when she returned their waves.

Jack turned to his crew while she waved and instructed them to be ready should Barbossa wake up and come after them.

"That shouldn't be a big problem, Jack. I kind of locked him in his room, stole his effects," she held up Barbossa's gun and sword, "and, lastly, spiked his rum with sleeping tonic."

Elizabeth grinned proudly, as only a pirate could.

_And this was why_, Jack thought, _I fell in love with her_.

"It's wonderful to have you back, Mrs. Sparrow." He said aloud and put his arm around her.

"Indeed," Elizabeth agreed, turning to face her husband. "It is good to be back, Mr. Sparrow." And with that, she kissed him.

**_Barbossa's ship… _**

Barbossa narrowed his eyes as the morning sun beamed through the porthole and into his room. Oh, how he hated it when it did that.

Growling, he reached for his rum and took a long swig. As he did, he noticed a bottle that had been right next to it.

The label clearly read: Sleeping Tonic.

"Oh, bugger…" Barbossa muttered before darkness hit him again, causing him to fall to the floor with a loud thud.

Unfortunately for him, none of his crew (except for Pintel and Ragetti of course) heard as they were all asleep for exactly the same reason.

_**The Mist…**_

"So, how long do I know until I've won the bet?" Jack asked lazily that evening, while lying in bed with his wife.

Elizabeth laughed heartily. Only her Jack could think of something like that after such a hair-raising adventure.

"I believe it's nine months, Captain Sparrow."

"That's a fair while until I can name my son…" Elizabeth playfully whacked his arm, which only made him grin wickedly.

"You mean…a fair while until _I _can name my _daughter_…"

"Give it up, ol' Jack is going to win this one." He muttered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing."


	8. Epilogue

Author's note: and here we have reached the end of my story. Thanks to all those who have reviewed. I greatly appreciate it.

_**Epilogue: A Father and his Child…**_

"_As I said…persuade me."_

Nine months later, Jack came to realize that it was a bad idea to make bets with one's wife.

As luck would have it, Mrs. Elizabeth Sparrow gave birth to a healthy baby girl whom she named Ashley.

But, Jack really _didn't_ mind. He loved his daughter the instant she was placed into his arms, regardless of the bet.

At the current moment however, Jack had just been awakened by the sound of said baby's cries. Carefully, so as not to disturb his sleeping wife, he crept from the room and into the makeshift nursery that had once been simply an empty cabin.

"Hey…no need for cryin', love." He whispered to Ashley and then picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

Jack was still new at this and was unsure as to how to calm her down. He usually had Elizabeth by his side to help him out, as she had "motherin' instincts" as Gibbs called them.

So, Jack did the one thing he could think of that always put him to sleep: he rocked her back and forth, mimicking the way a ship does the same thing in the water.

Her fussing lessened, so Jack took that as a good sign.

As he kept on, he noticed Ashley was quiet, but not asleep. She simply watched him with her huge brown eyes, so like his own.

"So, how is ol' Jack going to get you to sleep, eh?" He thought about this for a long moment before the perfect idea came to him.

Jack began humming a familiar tune, one that was very close to his heart for obvious reasons.

"…And really bad eggs," he sang softly, still rocking his daughter, "drink up me hearties, yo ho…"


End file.
